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had any reference to the future welfare of England in connection 

 with the possible early exhaustion of that one of the chief sources 

 of our national wealth. They will remember, too, how the opinion 

 of most of the leading scientific men of the day was sought, and 

 placed on record, regarding the probable extent of coal-fields 

 available as sources of supply in the future. One of the areas 

 where it had often been considered probable that the existence of 

 Coal Measures might hereafter be detected, was that of the tract of 

 older rocks concealed beneath the New Red of Cumberland and 

 Westmorland. Harkness, being recognized as possessing a more 

 extensive and intimate acquaintance with the general geology of 

 these parts than anyone else could then fairly lay claim to, was 

 requested to give his opinion upon that important question. This 

 he did in 1867, and his evidence duly apppeared in the Report of 

 the Royal Coal Commission, published a year or so afterwards. 



Among the men of science Harkness's researches amongst the 

 older Palaeozoic rocks had made him acquainted with, was Mr. 

 Thomas Davidson, F.R.S., the eminent authority on fossil Brachio- 

 poda. Davidson, after a long career of scientific labours, whose 

 value it is impossible to over-estimate, is still amongst us yet ; and 

 it may be of interest to give here an extract from one of several 

 letters that passed between him and Harkness. A great number 

 of the Brachiopoda from Cumberland and Westmorland now in 

 the geological collection at the Carlisle Museum were determined 

 by Dr. Davidson ; but there is in the letter subjoined some 

 references of importance in regard to subjects that are now (1883) 

 just beginning to attract renewed attention ; subjects that at the 

 time the letter was written were only just being brought promi- 

 nently before men's minds. 



My dear Sir, 



* * It has been exceedingly kind of you to have afforded me so 

 much valuable and needed information * * On Friday last I went to 

 St. Leonards-on-Sea to spend the day with my old and valued friends Sir 

 Roderick and Lady Murchison, also with Dr. Bowerbank. I was three 

 hours with Sir Roderick, and had a very long chat on Silurian and Survey 

 matters. Sir Roderick was so pleased to see me, and we sat most of the 

 time together (except at luncheon) in his bedroom, as Lady Murchiaon felt 



